Apple Watch to now connect hip, knee patients to doctors

San Francisco, Oct 16: Apple and Zimmer Biomet, a global leader in musculo-skeletal healthcare, have launched a major clinical study where an app on Apple Watch and iPhone will guide knee and hip replacement patients through pre- and post-operation care.

The "mymobility" app that uses Apple Watch to facilitate a new level of connection between patients and their surgical care teams, which can immediately impact the journey patients experience when they undergo these procedures, Zimmer Biomet said in a statement on Monday.

Zimmer Biomet is also commencing the "mymobility" clinical study, designed to study the app's impact on patient outcomes and overall costs for joint replacement patients.

During this research, patients will use "mymobility" app with Apple Watch as they progress through their hip or knee replacement journey.

The study aims to enroll as many as 10,000 patient participants in the US.

"We are incredibly excited to work with Apple to transform the knee and hip replacement experience for patients and surgeons," said Bryan Hanson, President and CEO, Zimmer Biomet.

More than one million knee and hip replacements occur annually in the US. This number is expected to grow to 3.5 million by 2035.

"We are proud to enable knee and hip replacement patients to use their own data and share it with their doctors seamlessly, so that they can participate in their care and recovery in a way not previously possible through traditional in-person visits," informed Jeff Williams, Chief Operating Officer, Apple.

The "mymobility" app has features that use both Apple Watch and iPhone through the joint replacement journey, including the ability for surgeons to send education and therapy reminders directly to the patient's Apple Watch.

A team of researchers in the US have also come together to use iPhone and Apple Watch to track binge eating disorder among people.

The researchers would use the "Recovery Record" app on iPhone to record the participants' mood, food and goals for 30 days.